Lady of the Ring
by Asami
Summary: What happens when Saurina (daughter of Sauron) forges ANOTHER ring??? ***Updated May 8!! Part 2 up!***
1. Introducing our Characters

Lady of the Ring (Asami-only version)  
Part Zero: Introductions to Our Characters.  
by Asami   
original concept by Yohanna  
  
A/N: There are two versions of this fic--one written by just me and one written by Brianna, Yohanna and me. So, yeah. Plot and stuff is different in the two versions, so don't even think about comparing them in those areas. Anyway, this is the INTRODUCTION, just so the characters are a bit more...believable. Yeeeeah. Umm yeah...so without further ado. I originally wrote this on NOTEBOOK PAPER! Notebook paper rules. Don't you agree? *shuts up so you, the reader, can enjoy this, the fanfic* I also went through a brief obsession with semicolons when writing Undomiel's intro. Sorry....Yohanna made up the name of her character (Farisess) and Briana hers (Dyorwen), so don't blame me! I BEZ NOT DUN EZENTHING! - quote from Arfenhouse  
  
~Character: Undomiel of Mirkwood~  
Undomiel, who was also called Hanabi by her closest friends and relatives, was known to most as nothing but a figure of royalty--the upper crust most could not even dream of joining. It's true, Hanabi was very privileged, but her privileges came after her coronation as Lady of Mirkwood. Before then...it was dark...but never live for the past; live for now.   
Hanabi had one special item she kept with her at all times. This was the Inferno Sword, a very magical sword that possessed the power to copy any element; be it fire, thunder, snow or what have you. The Inferno Sword had been passed on to her by her mother, who always believed in the power Hanabi had in her.   
Hanabi's nickname (A/N: Hanabi is the nickname, Undomiel is the real name, I know it's a bit confusing) means "fireworks". Such is her personality. Pick any old citizen of Mirkwood off the street and they'd say she's eccentric, or headstrong, or fierce. Some would even wonder why the Prince chose her as his bride. (But Hanabi dismisses that as idle jealousy. All the girls of Mirkwood fancy the Prince anyway.) But nobody would ever say greedy or power-hungry, because elves don't come that way, especially not their beloved Lady. The utter idea of her ever going another way came to her in a dream.  
As you know, elves do not "sleep" as we humans "sleep". If you were to look upon a sleeping elf, you would wonder what's so fascinating about the horizon. It is more like they combine daydreaming with being subconscious than anything, but to us humans it's confusing so we don't think of it...but as I was saying. Hanabi was innocently dreaming when Saurina, daughter of Lord Sauron of Mordor, appeared to her as a figure cloaked in flame, holding a gold ring.  
"Undomiel of Mirkwood...I am proposing to you an offer you cannot resist. Immense power will come to you if you will take this ring," Saurina offered. To this Hanabi snarled.  
"I already have a ring, and it gives me more happiness than you could ever begin to match," she replied. On her ring finger a beautiful diamond ring glinted.   
"Oh, so you do not want the ring?" asked Saurina. "Fine then! Mirkwood will fall into darkness, and you will be slain in the bloodiest battle since the War of the Ring...the first ring..." As Saurina's cruel words spilled from her mouth, scenes of a burning Mirkwood played out.   
Hanabi shot awake, shaking uncontrollably. Next to her lay the ring, as if it was just waiting for her to put it on. She felt a warm hand on her arm and turned to end up in Legolas' arms.   
"Hanabi, what's wrong?" he asked, gently stroking her hair.   
"I...I have to go to Lorien," replied Hanabi suddenly. She hopped up, slid into a shapeless black dress and grabbed a sheathed sword. Quickly she packed essentials into a bag and took the ring in her hand. Instead of putting it on, she dropped it into a pocket. "Out of sight, out of mind."  
"Why so?" Legolas asked.   
"I have to ask someone something. Do not follow me. The citizens need you." Hanabi sighed. "It must be done."  
"As you wish, but please be quick to return."  
"I will do my best." Again Hanabi sighed, this time longingly. "My dear...I do not want to leave you, not even for a little while!" She flopped down, once again resting in the arms of her beloved. "However, I must. It is not only for my benefit, but for that of everyone in Middle Earth. I will get there before dawn breaks and return as soon as I can." She stood once more, putting on a cloak to hide her identity. "Nobody will ever know I've left. I have Infeno--I'll be fine."  
"My brave Hanabi. Namaarie," Legolas whispered. Hanabi nodded, slipped into her riding boots and quietly snuck out. Down the large halls of the palace she went, quiet as a church mouse. Finally she went out a back door and ended up in the stables. Looking around, she noticed it was very much nighttime and pretty much all of Mirkwood was sound asleep.   
"I must leave my true names behind on the road. If a Lady travels alone in the middle of the night and people find out, they suspect things...things that aren't true..." Hanabi thought as she entered the stables, nimbly walking on the hay-covered floor. Past the apartment of the stablehands she crept and came upon the stall of her favorite steed, Nightflame. Nightflame was jet-black and hard to spot, which was good for nighttime.   
"Nightflame?" Hanabi whispered softly. Her horse awake and snorted. "Shh! We must be in haste." She took a cube of sugar out of a small pocket and handed it to Nightflame. "Follow me." She led her horse out of the stall, making sure to close the stall door afterwards to hide her trcks further. Down the corridor of the stable they went, past the rest of the horses and out into the crisp night. "The moon and stars are our lights now, Nightflame. Carry me to Lorien, and go as fast as you can." Quickly she mounted Nightflame. "For I must speak with Farisess."  
Nightflame whinnied as she, bearing her rider, cantered off into the vast forest trails that connected the three Elven cities. Hanabi directed her horse onto the correct path and soon spotted the golden leaves littering the ground that signaled she was entering Lorien.   
"Ah, this looks mighty familiar..." Hanabi said aloud.   
"A Lady, traveling in the night? Might I know your name?" a voice asked.   
"Haldir!" Hanabi noted to herself. "Does he never take a rest?" "I am...the Midnight Rider. I come to speak to Farisess."  
"But why in the night?"   
"Because...it is urgent!" Hanabi sputtered.  
"I see. You may proceed....Your horse looks a lot like the one the Lady of Mirkwood rides a lot," Haldir pointed out.  
"They are...of the same breed!" Hanabi explained quickly as she galloped into Lorien. She slowed Nightflame to a trot as she neared the palace of Galadriel and her daughter, Farisess. As she rode, she felt the ring in her pocket growing heavier, as if it was begging her to put it on. Bravely, Hanabi resisted the ring's pressure and reached the palace. Both Galadriel and Farisess were awake and awaiting Hanabi's arrival.  
~Character: Farisess, Daughter of the Lady of Light~  
"A star will shine upon our meeting, Undomiel of Mirkwood," said Galadriel. "However, the middle of the night is a rather strange time to meet. Something must be terribly amiss." Without words, Hanabi extracted the ring from her pocket.   
"I had a terrible dream. A figure engulfed in flame offered me this, and when I refused, scenes of a tortured Mirkwood appeared. When I awoke, this was lying next to me. Do either of you have any knowledge of this?"  
"I do know of a ring...but that one was destroyed in the Third Age. Undomiel, I believe Legolas has some knowledge of the War of the Ring. But this ring I have never seen before. I fear what powers it may hold. I caution you to never, under any circumstances, put on that ring," Galadriel informed Hanabi.   
"It was forged by Saurina in the gloom of Mordor. As with the last Ring of Power, Mordor is the only place where it can be destroyed. Seeing as this ring was entrusted to you, you must destroy it," Farisess added.   
"B...but I am just one woman! And I have someone who loves me dearly and I have promised I will return to! I cannot do this alone!" Hanabi protested.  
"Then I will accompany you," Farisess offered. "I also know a Ranger who would be of much help."  
"What about my home?" asked Hanabi.   
"You mean Legolas," Farisess replied. She looked at Hanabi's longing face and sighed in pity. "If he wishes, he may come along." In response, Galadriel gave Farisess a stern look. "What? She cannot live without him."  
"Thank you very much," Hanabi said gratefully. "I will go back to Mirkwood and return in a little while. I would like to meet this Ranger, too. Is anyone else going in our party?"  
"Nobody else is confirmed," replied Farisess. "Your specialty is still Inferno, correct?"  
"Yes. Inferno will never diminish."  
"So I see. The sun is beginning to rise. Go back, retrieve what you may need and rush back," Farisess commanded.   
"And don't you dare put on that ring!" Galadriel shouted as Hanabi mounted Nightflame and prepared to ride back to Mirkwood.  
"Mother...I think you have told her one too many times. She will be fine. Do not worry about her," said Farisess.   
"Aye, onward I ride, but I will return," Hanabi said as she tapped Nightflame and galloped off to the forest once again. Day was just breaking when she reached Mirkwood. Hastily she returned Nightflame and then dashed back to the palace. Panting, she appeared again in front of her husband.  
"Ah, you are on time. Dawn is just now coming. What message from Lorien?" Legolas asked Hanabi.   
"In my possession now is a ring. I do not want it. It was made in Mordor, so I have to go there and destroy it before anyone else gets to it. Galadriel mentioned a ring before it...and mentioned that you had knowledge of the ring before this one." Hanabi took out the ring.   
"It does look familiar...Oh! She talks of the ring that Sauron forged. I do have knowledge of it, but it was destroyed."  
"Exactly. But come! You are coming with me to Mordor. First we go back to Lorien to meet the other confirmed member of our party, and then on to Mordor," Hanabi said hastily. "I knew all along I'd be going to Mordor, so I pretty much have myself all the way packed."  
"Can we not take one more meal here, love?" Legolas asked.  
"Of course...I am being too hasty. We can take as much time as we need. I am just glad you agree to come along with me." Hanabi smiled.   
  
After breakfast, the two headed out (Hanabi on Nightflame and Legolas on Arod) to Lorien once more. Galadriel and Frasihess were once again awaiting them and greeted them pleasantly.   
"Do you still have the ring, Undomiel?" Farisess asked. Hanabi nodded and showed her the ring. "Good. Oh, Dyorwen! We have to go see her. Where is she, Mother?"  
"I believe she is in a tree somewhere in the way leading to Rivendell," Galadriel replied. "Poor little thing, does not take well to social situations."  
"She is a Ranger, what do you expect?" Farisess said under her breath. "Come." A maid sauntered up to stable the two horses and feed them a bit before their journey. The three walked through the forest awhile until the faint sounds of a flute could be heard.   
~Character: Dyorwen, the Elven Ranger~  
"I have heard this song before! My mother used to sing it to me when I was but a baby," Hanabi noted aloud. Following the sound, the trio eventually came upon a maple tree with a black spot sitting on a branch. Upon closer inspection, they found it was not a spot but a figure clad in a black cloak hiding a black dress with mud stains and a few rips here and there. She had dark skin and next to her lay a bow and a full quiver.   
"Dyorwen! Come down from there, for you have two more people to meet," Farisess shouted up to the tree.   
"Oh, must I?" the figure replied, putting down her flute next to her bow. "If it must be so." She hopped off her branch and dusted herself off. "Dyorwen of the Rangers. Nice to meet both of you." Her dark hair tossed around in the morning breeze. "It is such a nice day, is it not?"   
"I agree. I am Undomiel, Lady of Mirkwood, and this is Legolas, Lord of Mirkwood. It is nice to meet you too," Hanabi replied. "So you are a Ranger? But you have elven features!"  
"Yes...I was abandoned and found by a band of Rangers when I was very young. I was raised by them and I adopted their way of life," Dyorwen explained.   
"If this is all we are traveling with, then why do we not leave? It is a very long way to Mordor from here," Legolas pointed out.  
"I must agree with you, Lord Legolas. I will go back and retrieve...my weapons..." Dyorwen climbed her tree again and retrieved everything of hers up there. "Now I am ready."   
"And we are too," Hanabi said.   
"I am also. Let us fetch our steeds, and off to Mordor we go!" Farisess said to the group, dashing off. Everyone followed and gathered their horses from the stables. After Farisess bid Galadriel goodbye, the group left Lorien, heading south towards Mordor.  
  
to be CONTINUED.... 


	2. A Meeting by Chance

Lady of the Ring  
Chapter One: A Meeting By Chance  
by Asami  
  
A/N: YAAAAY. In case you are dumb or have forgotten the plot of Ch. 0, basically we introduced the characters. Undomiel, Legolas, Farsiess and Dyorwen all came together for one reason--to destroy the new generation Ring of Power. The Ring was given to the unsuspecting Undomiel in a dream, whence she awoke from and went to Lorien to ask Farsiess what she bore. Farsiess and Galadriel informed Undomiel that the ring she carried was to be destroyed, but no plain fire could destroy this--it had to be taken back to Mordor, where it had been forged, to be destroyed. With that, Undomiel pledged that she would destroy the ring and her allies joined with her. Now begins the journey to Mordor...And from now on, Hanabi is Undomiel. That is all.  
  
The group was setting out from Lorien, heading south. Dyorwen, who had a map of Middle-Earth permanently engraved in her head, led the way, making the hardest things sound simple.  
"All we have to do is follow Nimrodel all the way to Mordor," Dyorwen explained.   
"It is not that simple! First there's Emyn Muil, and then there's the Dead Marshes. So just following Nimrodel and expecting a perfectly smooth trip is not in the agenda," Legolas replied.  
"And not only that, we do not have boats..." Undomiel added. "Are we to ride beside the riverbank?"  
"I suppose that is all we can do, unless these horses can swim," Farsiess said.   
"I highly doubt that," Dyorwen replied. "But yes, Lady Undomiel, you are correct. We will simply follow the riverbank."  
As soon as the group reached the fields that signified they were reaching the Nimrodel, they rested a bit. The horses grazed on the tall fresh grass as the group ate a bit of lembas.   
"We have lots of food--I made sure to pack much myself," Undomiel informed the group. She was about to offer a piece of lembas to Dyorwen when she looked upon the Ranger, looking at something in the grass...Something that was moving.   
"Lady! I sense something is near," whispered Dyorwen. She notched an arrow into her bow and went off to investigate. Undomiel drew the Inferno Sword and checked the blade, for it would usually burst into flames if danger was near. However, now the blade was just fine.   
"Ai! It's nothing but a hobbit-lass and her pony!" Dyorwen reported. "What, may I ask, are ya doing in these parts? I thought that the Shire was off to the West a bit, in Eriador, hmm? Are you visiting the land of the elves?"  
"Why yes!" the hobbit-lass replied. She was (obviously) a tiny creature, with long wavy brown hair, big blue eyes and a love for all things elvish. Her pony nibbled on grass as she talked. "I really do love the elves, I was off to visit Lorien, actually." To this Farsiess came up and laughed a bit.   
"Well, I am a Lady of Lorien!" To this the hobbit-lass stood there, mouth and eyes wide open. "Farsiess of Lorien. Daughter of Galadriel, the Lady of Light. And you are?"  
"Daisy Baker, from Sackville. It's a pleasure ta meet ya, Farsiess."  
"And there's more! The Lord and Lady of Mirkwood are also here," Farsiess said as Legolas and Undomiel walked over, hand in hand, to see what was going on. "We're all heading south."  
"Umm..." Daisy started. "May I come along?"   
"But we are..." Dyorwen began, Undomiel telling her to shush.   
"Let her come, if she wishes. I like her. She's cute," Undomiel commented.   
"Tell me AAAAAALLLLL about Mirkwood! And Lorien! And elves! What do you all eat?" Daisy was full of questions. "Come on, Sami!" she said to her pony, who did not want to stop eating yet. "My pony is a pig!" Daisy eventually got her pony Sami up and mounted her. "So, where are we goin' exactly?"   
"Just...south," Farsiess said. "Nowhere exactly."  
  
The rest of the day was spent traveling and occasionally resting. The horses and pony would drink from the Nimrodel while the riders talked about whatever came up. It was so pleasant you would forget they were going to such a horrid place. Daisy found that elves were a very nice race and had much fun talking with them. Finally the sun went down.  
"I do not think we should travel at night," Legolas whispered into the darkness. "Dangerous creatures roam the roads at night, my love, and I do not want you to get hurt."   
"Aye, I must agree with him on that," Dyorwen replied, nodding. "We will rest." They looked around.  
"Where?" Undomiel asked.  
"Anywhere we can make camp."  
"What? We're just going to sort of...sleep...without any walls around us, or anything to protect us?!" Undomiel panicked. "What if something should attack?"  
"We will take turns watching throughout the night. Undomiel, first rotation," Dyorwen assigned. "I'm on second and Farsiess on third. Daisy, you're saved. So, 'night Undomiel." Dyorwen spread out a sleeping mat and blanket, got into it and fell elvish asleep. Daisy also fell asleep, and then Farsiess after her, leaving Undomiel and Legolas alone.   
Undomiel sighed and ran her finger up and down the sheath of her sword.   
"If you want you can go to sleep," Legolas offered, taking Undomiel's hand. "You seem exhausted."  
"No, I'm fine. I have to protect all of you, anyway." Undomiel hesitated and her hand moved toward the pocket the ring was in. "It...it is stabbing me..." She took out the ring and looked it over. "How could it be stabbing me? It has no spikes! It has also become freezing cold to the touch, scalding hot to the touch and heavier! This ring is really quite strange!"  
"It is not a normal ring. Nobody wants a ring like that one. Not to wear...I will stay awake with you. I fear the ring might try something funny," Legolas said, taking a seat next to his wife. "It is a shame you had to be entrusted with this burden."  
"I agree, I never wanted this ring anyway. I told Saurina I already had a ring, but did she listen? No..." Undomiel held back tears, but eventually they flowed. "What happens if Saurina's predictions do come true? What happens if Mirkwood does fall into shadow and I die? And all because of this stupid ring..." Legolas took Undomiel and held her close as her tears fell.   
"None of that will happen, love. You will definitely beat those silly predictions, I know it."   
"Thank you...for believing in me..." Undomiel whispered between tears. "My love." Legolas kissed her forehead.   
"Of course."   
Undomiel spent the rest of her shift safe in her lover's arms, knowing nothing could harm her. By the time it was up, she had fallen asleep. Dyorwen moved her aside and took her place guarding the group. Once her shift was up Farsiess went and it became morning.  
  
"'Morning! We were just making some breakfast," Daisy informed the just-awakening Undomiel.   
"God, I feel like crap," complained Undomiel. "I do not know why, but I do."  
"It's just morning syndrome," Daisy said to her. "You'll be fine after you have some of this." She handed Undomiel some eggs and bacon. "Go on, eat!"  
"I suspect it is the ring," Farsiess said knowingly. "It has caused you trouble lately?"  
"Yes. It has become suddenly heavy, hot, cold and I swear it felt like it was stabbing me last night. How much longer is it to there?" Undomiel asked, nibbling at her breakfast.  
"About five days, counting today," Dyorwen said. "We will keep following the Nimrodel until Emyn Muil. There we will hope for some sort of help so we may cross safely. After the Dead Marshes we're pretty much home free."  
"Home free?" Daisy asked. "Where are we going?"  
"Daisy, you must promise not to leave this group if we tell you," Farsiess said to the confused hobbit.  
"I promise I won't! Ya elves are too cool!" Daisy replied, nodding.  
"We are going to Mordor. Undomiel here possesses a ring that must be destroyed there before anyone else can get to it," Farsiess explained.   
"M...Mordor?!" Daisy exclaimed, going pale.   
"It must be done," Undomiel added. "I do not want anyone else to get to the ring, because I do not know who it could be and how they would use the ring."  
"Wow! Brave!" Daisy commented. "I will stay with you all."  
"Thank you, Daisy," Farsiess said to the hobbit. "You know, I have met few hobbits in my life. They really are interesting. I know very little of them, but from what you tell me, they seem like a very good people. I will go visit you all sometime."   
"Well, I'm honored, Lady of Lorien," Daisy replied, bowing. "And I would love to visit the elven cities too. All three sound very pleasant."  
"We're quite honored you feel so highly about the Elves, Daisy, but we must be on our way. Mordor is a good six days away," Dyorwen said, mounting her horse. "And I think we have had a rather smooth trip. Something catastrophic is on the horizon, I can sense it."  
"That certainly is not good news!" Undomiel exclaimed as she fed a bit of her breakfast to Nightflame. "I have Inferno at the ready, should it become neccessary." She patted the broad neck of her horse, packed up her stuff and mounted her horse. Everyone else followed suit and they were off.   
"Farsiess! Halt!" a voice shouted. Farsiess turned to see a white horse bearing a rider galloping her way. The horse began to slow until it reached Farsiess. "I came as fast as I could when I heard you were off to Mordor."  
"Lintewethiel. Why am I not surprised to see you?" asked Farsiess.   
"Haldir told me that not only had he seen the Lady of Mirkwood, he had also seen you leaving. Something was definitely wrong, so I followed," the woman explained. She was also an elf-woman, with long yellow hair and dark blue eyes. "By the way, Undomiel, nice try trying to sneak into Lorien disguised."   
"You knew of that?" Undomiel asked, embarrassed.  
"Yes, certainly I did," Lintewethiel replied. "Lord of Mirkwood, it is nice to see you again as well. Galadriel has ordered me to guard you, Farsiess. She says you cannot take this journey alone."   
"I can see where that opinion would be based," Undomiel replied. "It is nice to see you here."  
"Dearie me!" Daisy suddenly exclaimed. "This has become a party of elves! I feel almost left out here!"  
"Ah, poor Daisy! We have not yet forgotten you!" Farsiess said, laughing a light little giggle. "I have been caught up with meeting many new characters thrown at me that it is making my head spin!"  
"Well then, shall we head on? The road to Mordor is long, and the ring is beginning to burden Undomiel more and more by the day," Dyorwen said to the group. "We will ride fast and long, and not let anything get in our way."   
  
Once again led by Dyorwen, the group set off. The view along the wide banks of the Nimrodel was just stunning, but still some of the group members felt something very strange was about to happen. Feeling a bit threatened, Undomiel reached for her sword. Unsheathing it, she touched the blade--it had become slightly hotter. Holding it above her head it burst into flames and everyone was very much shocked at this display.   
"Something has come!" she exclaimed.  
"Why is your sword aflame?" Daisy asked, very scared of the blazing sword.   
"The Inferno catches fire whenever danger is near. Everyone, draw your weapons," Undomiel shouted to everyone else. "Someone guard the little one!"  
"Ai! Don't call me a little one!" Daisy complained.   
"I'm sorry, but we haven't the time for official names! I will attack first!" Undomiel barked as she sped up her horse, holding her blade to her side. Sure enough, a swarm of Orcs come from Saurina's command in Mordor had been dispatched, told to find the one who holds the ring and seize it. To make herself happier, Saurina also commanded that the Orcs kill whoever held the ring. Doing a quick head count, Undomiel counted about 70.   
"Seventy," she whispered, clicking her tongue. "I see. Nightflame, onward!" she added. "I will call for backup only when I need it! Stay behind!" she quickly shouted to her comrades before charging into the swarm. The Inferno Sword was still aflame, which really helped to slay more Orcs quickly. A few would gather around her and she would merely swing, making them fall to the ground. However, these Orcs were not the kind that quit when a few of their comrades were lost, these were the more hardy kind that knew to believe in themselves. Arrows from the rest of the group soared through the air, landing in more Orcs. Undomiel paused to wipe the sweat from her brow when she was struck by an orc-blade, leaving a deep cut in her right arm. She took the pain, sucked it up and proceeded to kill that Orc and take up its blade. More arrows flew, more Orcs were slain and Undomiel had no time to tend to her wound. Eventually all of them lay in a stinking pile of corpses that Nightflame had to climb over so that her rider could rejoin her group.   
"Nobody messes with a Lady and gets away with it," said Undomiel simply as the blade doused itself and she resheathed it. "That is a lesson taught to any other Orcs or whatever might try to attack us. Archers, go look for arrows. I feel you will need them." She waved her right arm, checking out her wound.   
"Lady! Are ya hurt real bad?" Daisy rushed up to Undomiel's side.  
"No, I will be fine within a few hours. Until then..." Undomiel dismounted Nightflame, took a piece of cloth and walked up to the rushing Nimrodel. Placing the piece of cloth in the cool refreshing water, Undomiel quickly placed the sopping piece of fabric over her wound and tied the loose ends together. As the cool water hit her stinging hot wound, she winced slightly. "Aye! Let's go on!"   
"You slay about seventy Orcs with assistance, get injured and you just go on?" Daisy asked in disbelief. "Elves are powerful!"  
"We like to think so," Undomiel replied, re-mounting Nightflame. "Finished scavenging?"  
"Pretty sure so," Lintewethiel shouted. "Not much to be found here."   
"So I see. Dyorwen, how long is it to Emyn Muil? Do you think our horses could get over it?"   
"I highly doubt any steed, no matter how purely bred it is, could make it through Emyn Muil alive. When we reach it, I fear we must turn our horses loose," Dyorwen replied, covering her face with her cloak. Undomiel looked forlornly at her horse, who had carried her so far, when Legolas came over and lay a hand on her shoulder.  
"It's okay. They know their way home," he said comfortingly.  
"Aye, but we do not have to turn them away yet. It is a while to Emyn Muil, and every step I take closer to that festering hellhole they call Mordor, the ring grows heavier," Undomiel said softly, her hand reaching for the pocket with the ring in it. "I do wonder what would happen if I put it on, however. It does not mean I will put on the ring, for I do not dare to."   
"As per Galadriel's orders," Farsiess added. "And I know one person in this group has previous knowledge of rings of power." Her gaze shifted toward Legolas. It was obvious Farsiess had inherited her "I-know-everything-about-you-don't-deny-it" look from her mother as she scanned everyone in the group. "Although I know he would not disclose it. I hear that the Fellowship split?"  
"Could we please...not discuss that now?" Legolas asked, seeming uncomfortable. "The original Fellowship was not the best time of my life."  
"I do know what the best time of your life was," Farsiess replied. "It had to be the day you married Undomiel, correct? I know it is correct."  
"May we...leave now?" Undomiel asked uncomfortably, afraid her mind would be scanned next.   
"I agree," Lintewethiel added, her horse neighing. She also feared Farsiess, seeing as she could pretty much tell what anyone was thinking. Clicking her tongue, she stopped her slightly disobedient horse from neighing. Nightflame was also getting impatient, as well as Arod, Sami and the rest of the horse troupe.   
"I'm heading on," Undomiel finally said, tapping Nightflame and she was off. "If you all want to have your thoughts read thoroughly stay behind! Oi! Farsiess! You are beginning to scare me!" Her cloak flapped in the wind behind her.   
"She really is headstrong," Legolas muttered as he mounted Arod and followed Undomiel. Because Daisy would ultimately do whatever an elf told her to do, she followed as fast as Sami could carry her. Dyorwen shrugged, saying that she had many thoughts she would keep private and rode off. Lintewethiel sighed, told Farsiess to lay off the mind-reading and followed.   
"Wait! You need me!" Farsiess shouted, following the group. "I beg your forgiveness--I never meant to scare any of you! I will not read your thoughts without your prior consent! I promise! Ooooooiiiiii!!!"   
  
At one point during their day's travel, the ring became so heavy that Undomiel let out a cry and hunched over on her horse. Obediently Nightflame halted and everyone else rushed up to her.   
"It comes closer..." she whispered through her pain. "I can sense it..."  
  
To be CONTINUED! Talk about SUSPENSE! REVIEW NOW! 


	3. Hopeless...Hopeful...

Lady of the Ring  
Part Two: Hopeless....Hopeful....?  
by Asami  
  
A/N: Ok. Last time I sent everyone off on the journey to Mordor. I added two characters, Daisy the hobbit-lass and Lintewethiel, a "messenger from Lorien". Farsiess scared everyone with her mind reading and they all fled for it, then Undomiel almost collapsed due to the bugginess of the ring...And don't forget the group is still on their way to Emyn Muil, which is definitely not advertised in Tour Middle-Earth books. This story is building up...  
  
  
Undomiel ran and ran, but still she could not escape it. A power that drew ever nearer haunted her, would not let her just be peaceful and free. Negotiating with it was futile--this was the one ring, crafted in Mordor with the powers of darkness. Help was no help, because she alone was entrusted with the ring and no matter who tried to lend a hand, it did not contribute in the long run...  
  
"I don't know what happ'nd, maybe she's out cold or somesuch," Daisy said. Undomiel had slumped up against some tree, unable to remember why she was there. "Ah! Never mind, she's awake!"  
"What...?" Undomiel asked.   
"You collapsed, it was the ring," Farsiess explained. "Its power must be getting very strong."  
"I wouldn't doubt 'dat, considering ya got knocked out," the hobbit commented. "Ai, Lady, we must be on."   
"You're right, and the faster we get there, the faster this evil thing gets destroyed." Struggling just a bit, Undomiel rose from the ground and checked her pocket to make sure the ring was still there.   
  
"While you were asleep we figured out that if one of us carries the little one over Emyn Muil, and since we're all elves, we might be able to get over," Lintewethiel informed Undomiel.   
"That is an exceptional idea, all 'cept I'm not a 'little one'! Actually, I'm pretty tall for a hobbit-lass of my age!" Daisy replied angrily. "Although I won't disclose my age."  
"Ok," Lintewethiel sighed. "I apologize."  
"'S okay, I get called that a lot," Daisy said, nodding.   
"What about the horses?" Undomiel queried.  
"I'm afraid they will definitely have to go back home. It's not logical to even try to make such sweet horses climb over that," Dyorwen said, looking toward the south. "But they will be of use until the very last moment, when our hearts will know we must go our separate ways."   
"So what is this place like anyway?" Daisy asked. "I just wanna know."  
"It is better that we do not scare you with fact," Farsiess replied. "You will have to wait until we arrive there."   
  
After the long battle against the first fleet of Orcs, it seemed the other Orcs decided to wait a while before attacking, as the day's trip was once again peaceful. Daisy talked of how hobbits ate six meals a day while everyone else apologized for only eating three. Finally, the sun began to set, showing off a brilliant sunset on the horizon.   
"There're giant spiders?!"   
"Yes! And they don't resist attacking whomever gets them mad! So that's why I have this scar, and that one, and that one, because I decided throwing rocks at spiders was great fun."   
"Gracious! That makes yer place sound less appealing."  
"Oh, it's really nice there aside from the spiders. Besides, if you were our guest, we'd make sure you went outside the palace with guards so if a spider did approach, then you wouldn't be hurt."   
  
Farsiess and Dyorwen sat in a tree, watching Daisy talk with Undomiel and Legolas about visiting Mirkwood.   
"The little--hobbit seems so happy with us," the Lady of Lorien pointed out. "Such a shame she had to come to us under terrible conditions."  
"If there had been no such thing as this ring, we would all be living very normal lives," Dyorwen added. "I worry for Undomiel, for she seems unstable, as if the ring is controlling her even though she has not put it on."   
"I noticed this too," Farsiess said heavily. "But there is nothing I do not notice. It is my blessing, and my curse. I know what someone thinks, and can tell their memories, but some things I find out make me depressed, or are things I did not want to know of. These thoughts cannot be erased from my head as easily as you think." Dyorwen had no reply to this, but Farsiess knew what she wanted to say. "You want us to retire for the night. I grow tired as well, may we sleep peacefully. I'll do first guard." She hopped down from the tree, Dyorwen following.   
"Well! The Lord and Lady have just convinced me to stay in Mirkwood after this peril is over! Now I sleep, for tomorrow may be very different from today," Daisy announced.  
"I noticed something...Every other day we journey seems peaceful. I do not know why this is so, but it is," Undomiel pointed out. "If things keep going the way I just pointed out, then tomorrow something bad will happen." Her eyes moved to Farsiess, as if to say "I know you know what I think." "I am off to sleep."   
  
However, Undomiel did not sleep as easily as everyone else. She was awakened again by the ring and when she looked around, Farsiess stood waiting for her.   
"I will tell you now your future," she offered. "What I tell is the whole truth, and if there is a detail you do not like, you must deal with it, because I tell all. Do you agree to this?"  
"Yes..." Undomiel said in a daze. Farsiess led her to the banks of Nimrodel, where both maidens sat with their feet dangling in the water.   
"Now, look into the water. What do you see?" Farsiess asked. Undomiel looked into the water, seeing nothing but her reflection peering back at her.   
"Nothing..."  
"Look again." To speed up the process Undomiel blinked. This time in the water she saw one single cherry blossom, her favorite flowering tree's blossom, floating around. She watched it as it disappeared from view. Replacing the peaceful view of the blossom was a view of a cemetery full of graves. There was a small grave that she saw herself sobbing by. Undomiel squinted to read the epitaph, but stopped herself. She knew what this scene meant and was very much disturbed by it.   
"I cannot do this---" she whispered, standing up. "Farsiess, you are a cruel person, and I am surprised that Galadriel even let you come on this mission. She does know that you use your powers to predict nothing but death and depression, correct? I am also surprised Saurina just hasn't taken you away as her highest servant, as I know that is what exists in your soul! You do not want to use your powers for good, you want to use them for evil!" Her eyes glittered and a flame burned in her pupils.  
Farsiess scowled. "Undomiel of Mirkwood, I will make your life a living hell. I swear by every divine being that has ever been in this world, I will make your life a horrible existence and make you wish you were dead!" She spied Undomiel reaching for her sword. "You wish to fight?"   
"Not if I can avoid it." Her hand moved swiftly away from her sword.   
"You fear my powers?"  
"Everyone does." Undomiel's gaze went towards the rest of the group, resting peacefully, and then back to Farsiess. "You seem too powerful to be anything; may it be human, elven, or any race in Middle-Earth. It is not possible to have this much power and be on the side of good. Consider that I am watching you, forever watching you, for that is what I am doing. Nobody else in this group can even stand against your power and expect to come out of it alive, so I will protect them."   
"You think too highly of yourself," Farsiess replied simply. "That is all I have to say. Now get some rest." She grinned evilly, took out a silver staff with sapphires on the end (A/N: Symbolizing Nenya) and waved it. Undomiel let out a few curses as she fell to the ground, unconscious.  
  
"Not again!" cried Daisy as she beheld the knocked-out Elf, propped up against the tree everyone used as shade. "Gosh! This one keeps getting knocked out!"  
"It can't be the ring this time around," Dyorwen reported, examining poor Undomiel. "It seems very strange to me." She stood up at the moment Legolas approached, holding a flask of cold water straight from the river. "What's that for?"  
"It'll wake her up," he replied, walking over to Undomiel, opening her mouth and forcing some of the water in. He waited for the effects to set in and soon Undomiel's eyes fluttered open. "Works every time."  
"Where is she?" asked Undomiel quietly. Everyone expressed looks of cluelessness. "I repeat...where is she?"  
"Who do you speak of?" Dyorwen asked curiously.  
"The one...who wields the staff with sapphire on it." Undomiel's description was vague. "She travels among us. Beware her powers. She used them against me." The rest of the group exchanged more clueless looks, which eventually turned into looks of knowing something...  
  
After Undomiel's warning, everyone else seemed to avoid Farsiess a bit, even Lintewethiel. As she rode ahead, Farsiess would exchange glances with everyone, glances that were mostly pure evil. Undomiel and Lintewethiel regrouped and talked in whispers about the situation.   
"Do you see her staff?" asked Undomiel. Lintewethiel nodded. "What can it do?"  
"Even I do not know for sure," Lintewethiel replied unsurely, as if she would be punished for speaking her mind. "But I am just a peasant, what do I know?"  
"A lot! You have street smarts," Undomiel pointed out. "I do not know much of the lands south of Lorien and west of Rivendell, and these cute...hobbit people I have heard of certainly interest me. However, I am young, even by the reckoning of the Elves, so there is not much I do know."  
"Don't talk like that! You know much, and do not doubt yourself. But nobody knows exactly how Farsiess' mind works." Lintewethiel giggled. "I suspect she harvested her powers and saw how she could maximize them, even if it meant keeping the balance between good and evil and sometimes unfairly tipping the scale in one direction or another." She covered her mouth to avoid more giggling. "I think she can hear us."  
"Who cares what she can hear? She can probably tune in to all the thoughts of each and every Orc in Mordor, but I do not care."   
On the horizon the group could hear something drawing near. Being curious, Undomiel drew her sword and touched the blade. It was growing warm...  
"Hm..." She looked around. "Linlin!" she suddenly called. "Go alert the others. Something strange is coming towards us." Instead of replying to something like that the way people normally would, Lintewethiel laughed. Undomiel gave her a questioning look.  
"You called me Linlin...That's what Haldir calls me. I thought it was a bit ironic, that's all."   
"Well, time for nicknames to be laid aside," Dyorwen said. "Check your blade again, Lady." Undomiel nodded and touched her blade. Letting out a cry, she looked at her finger to see it had turned a rather unflattering shade of red. Sighing, she stuck her finger in her mouth to see if that would cool it down a bit. It did, and soon everyone had been alerted to the presence of something bad.  
"But what do you suspect it is?" Daisy asked, panicked.   
"Most likely another band of orcs," Legolas reported. "Undomiel? They seem to all be after you."  
"And who else noticed that Farsiess isn't here?" Lintewethiel pointed out. "Something very strange is going on." The group looked on toward the horizon, where numberless armies of orcs were hiding in wait for them to come forth...   
  
To be Continued in part 3........ 


End file.
